Promises for the Battle
Christmas
Christmas 2022—Advent Trumpets
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. … “Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.” Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God. Luke 2:9 The Lord himself will come down from heaven with … Continue reading
Advent 2022 #3—Fear Not!
The glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them: “Fear not! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is … Continue reading
Advent 2022 #2—Christmas Wildness
This Christmas sonnet/prayer comes from thinking about what Paul writes to the Christians at Ephesus. It also arises from an objection to the typical rhyming pattern found in Christmas carols: child – mild, as in “meek & mild;” meek, yes; but mild? I never perceive Jesus as “mild;” rather he always seems untamed to me, … Continue reading
Advent 2022—#1
Believe this: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am the foremost. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect longsuffering as an example for those committed to believe in him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15–16 At … Continue reading
The Present of Advent
Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28 We celebrate in order to bring the joy of the past into the present. We anticipate in order to bring the joy … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Christmas Time!
Way back in 1965 I sang with four of my friends in the Oak Park and River Forest High School’s “Senior Follies.” One of the songs we performed was Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” But, as it turns out, Alphonse Karr was correct, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” (the more … Continue reading
Advent 2019 #4—Illuminated Deliverance
When one looks out over the land, he sees distress and darkness, gloom and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land. The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. … Now he brings honor to the way of the sea, the region beyond the Jordan, and Galilee of the nations. The people … Continue reading
Christmas Sonnet 2018—Humble Exemplar
For this year’s Christmas prayer sonnet I thought Philippians 2:6–9 would be a good seed text. It’s not strictly a “Christmas text,” but it is definitely about the incarnation, and, significantly, about our response to it, as Paul suggests earlier in the chapter: Humble perseverance in the face of God’s sovereign dispensation yields effective love and … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About the Next Advent
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear,” one of the many songs we enjoy during the Christmas season, is not really about the past. It begins there, but it quickly moves to remind us about how we should live while we await Jesus’ second advent. Since we live in the present so that we can enjoy … Continue reading
Holy Is As Holy Does
Living in accord with the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior. 1 Peter 1:15 During the Christmas season this year, plain brown boxes filled with precious gifts are being delivered across the nation. We, ourselves, are containers packed with abundant and priceless gifts. Our gifts are packaged in fragile … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 